General News
11 November, 2024
Lest we forget: Horsham community honours the fallen on Remembrance Day
Horsham gathers on November 11 to pay tribute on Armistice Day.
The Horsham community respectfully gathered this week to honour the thousands who died in military conflicts during the past 106 years.
The ceremony included poetry recitations by local students and wreath-laying at the cenotaph and the Vignacourt Tree, symbolising the community's enduring respect for the day.
More than 70 people gathered at the Sawyer Park Cenotaph and War Memorial to observe Remembrance Day on Monday, November 11.
Also known as Armistice Day, the date commemorates the deaths of the millions of Allied service personnel killed in World War I, as well as those who lost their lives in later conflicts.
Led by emcee Gareth Lane, the Horsham RSL sub-branch senior vice president, the observations featured poems and anthems linked to Remembrance Day.
Holy Trinity Lutheran College's Rebecca Wundke and Alana Johns read 'For the Fallen', while Ella Hion and Zane Joseph from Horsham College recited 'Flanders Fields'.
Saint Bridget's College's Maddie Carracher delivered 'The Answer' before sub-branch president Don Pirouet performed 'The Ode' to a standing audience.
Community groups and individuals laid wreaths in honour of the fallen at the foot of the cenotaph, followed by a single wreath at the foot of the Vignacourt Tree by Sally Bertram and Horsham Rural City Council interim chief executive Craig Niemann.
The Last Post was played, and one minute's silence was observed, followed by the National Anthem of France and Australia.
Members of the public were also invited to place a floral tribute at the Memorial.
The observation in Horsham was one of hundreds taking place across Australia.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn said Remembrance Day was as important now as it was in 1919.
"Each year, we tender our tribute anew to the generations of servicemen and women who have died or suffered for Australia in conflicts far from home," she said at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
"And so it is, our Remembrance Days are born of all the days of commemoration that have gone before."
In a joint statement, Defence Minister Richard Marles and Veteran's Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said November 11 is a time to reflect on all soldiers who have served to protect Australia's interests.
"On this day 106 years ago, the guns fell silent on the Western Front," they said.
"In the years since, Remembrance Day has become a day where we turn our minds to all of those who have served our nation - in war, conflict and peacekeeping operations - and the 103,000 Australians who have fallen."